Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae"Boethius
ReligionComparative
Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae"
Boethius
Happiness; Philosophy and religion
¶ For shrewes don þat hem 3356
list whan by þo þinges in whiche þei deliten þei wenen
to atteyne to þilke good þat þei desiren. but þei ne geten
ne atteynen nat þer to. ¶ for vices ne comen nat to
blisfulnesse. 3360
[Linenotes:
3324 _shrewednesse_--shrewednesses
_clere_--cleer
3325 _nat----power_--nawht ne han no power
3326 _whiche_--which
_þat is_--of this
3327 _here_--her
3328 _nis_--is
3329 _soþe_--soth
3329, 3330 [_and thilke----quod I_]--from C.
3334 _don_--MS. done, C. don
_none þat_--non thanne
3335 _done_--doon
_good[e]_--goode
3336 _don_--MS. done, C. don
_done_--don
3337 _yuel[e]_--yuele
_þis_--it
3338 _don_--MS. done, C. don
3339 _ȝitte_--yit
_þere_--ther
3340 _shewed here byforne_--Ishewed her by-forn
_al_--alle
3341 _amonge_--among
3344 _don_--MS. done, C. don
3346 _auȝten be_--owhte ben
3347 _al_--alle
_auȝt[e]_--owhte
3351 _clere_--cler
3352 _soþe_--soth
_þat seyþ_--MS. but siþe, C. þ{a}t seyth
3353 [_doon_]--from C.
3355 _seyne_--seyn
3357 _whiche_--which]
[Headnote:
THE WICKED ARE UNHAPPY.]
QUOS UIDES SEDERE CELSOS.
[Sidenote: [The ij^de Met{ur}.]]
[Sidenote: Whosoever might strip of their purple coverings, proud
kings, who, surrounded by their guards, sit on lofty thrones, and
whose stern looks wear fierce threatenings, and boiling breasts
breathe fury; would see those mighty lords inwardly fettered, and
tormented by lust, passion, grief, and delusive hopes.]
++Who so þat þe couertures of her veyn apparailes
myȝt[e] strepen of þise proude kynges þat þou
seest sitten on heyȝe in her chayeres glyterynge in
shynynge purpre envyroned wiþ sorweful arm{ur}es 3364
manasyng wiþ cruel mouþe. blowyng by woodnesse of
herte. ¶ He sholde se þan þat ilke lordes beren wiþ
i{n}ne hir corages ful streyte cheynes for leccherye tormentiþ
he{m} on þat oon syde wiþ gredy venyms {and} 3368
troublable Ire þat araiseþ in hem þe floodes of troublynges
tourmentiþ vpon þat oþer side hir þouȝt. or sorwe halt
he{m} wery or ycauȝt. or slidyng {and} disseyuyng hope
tourmentiþ hem.
[Sidenote: Since, then, so many tyrants bear sway over one
head--that lord, oppressed by so many masters (i. e. vices), is
weak and feeble, and his actions are not obedient to his will.]
And þerfore syn þou seest on heed. 3372
þat is to seyne oon tyraunt bere so many[e] tyrauntis.
þa{n} ne doþ þilk tyraunt nat þat he desiriþ. syn he
is cast doune wiþ so many[e] wicked lordes. þat is to
seyn wiþ so many[e] vices. þat han so wicked lordshipes 3376
ouer hym.
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